The CFE process focuses on four bodies of knowledge critical to the fight against fraud: Financial Transactions and Fraud Schemes, Law, Investigation, and Fraud Prevention and Deterrence. CFEs have the ability to:

Understand how fraud is committed and how it can be identified;

Examine books and records to detect and trace fraudulent transactions;

Interview suspects to obtain information and confessions;

Write investigation reports, advise clients as to their findings, and testify at trial; and

Understand the underlying factors that motivate individuals to commit fraud.

What do CFEs do?

Certified Fraud Examiners (CFEs) perform a variety of services in many different industries throughout all sectors of an organization. They are part accountant, part investigator, part attorney, and part criminologist.

The ACFE's 2015/2016 Compensation Guide is a comprehensive report on compensation for anti-fraud professionals in multiple industries, functional areas and levels of seniority. According to this guide, Certified Fraud Examiners (CFEs) are earning significantly more than non-certified professionals without the CFE credential.

The information contained here is based on a global salary survey conducted by an independent research group, Western Management Group, and completed by anti-fraud professionals worldwide. Professionals with the CFE credential earned 23 percent more in salary than professionals in comparable positions who do not hold the globally-preferred designation.